Mandi Schwartz, a women’s hockey player for the Yale University Bulldogs and the sister of St. Louis Blues 2010 first-round draft pick Jaden Schwartz, died Sunday after a valiant battle against leukemia, numerous outlets reported.
The 23-year-old from Wilcox, Saskatchewan, whose fight against cancer was an inspiration for Yale and the hockey world, went into a Regina, Saskatchewan, hospital on Saturday night and died Sunday morning, the Toronto Star reported.
Yale teammate Aleca Hughes told NHL.com that Schwartz’s legacy as an athlete will be lasting.
"I think Mandi should be remembered as an incredibly kind and selfless person; an extraordinary hockey player and athlete who always put others before herself," Hughes said. "I think that was a huge part of her game while she was playing, and clearly it's going to be a huge part of her legacy long after this."
Schwartz, who played forward for the Bulldogs, was diagnosed with leukemia in December 2008, according to the Yale hockey website. After intensive treatment, she was planning to return to playing hockey for the 2010-11 season; in April 2010, however, she found out the cancer had returned.
She received a stem-cell transplant in September 2010, according to the Yale website, but a biopsy in December revealed the cancer had returned.
She is survived by her father Rick Schwartz, mother Carol Schwartz, and two brothers, Jaden and Rylan, NHL.com reported.
